San Diego Criminal Attorneys Blog
A couple of overnight checkpoints in San Diego this weekend proved necessary, for as many as twenty-three suspected drunk drivers were pulled over to ascertain their state of influence. Driving under the influence is one of the top offenses in the United States, taking countless lives by something entirely preventable. In a study done by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), teens and young adults were tested (without them knowing it was a test) on whether they would take the passenger’s seat in a vehicle operated by a drunk driver. Shockingly, as many as 54% of them sealed their fate with a loose cannon behind the wheel.
The checkpoints this past weekend on May 17th and 18th were located on Mission Bay Drive near I-5 and 14th & G. They ran for about 4 hours, in a gap from approximately 11:00pm Saturday to 3:00am Sunday, where around 4,000 vehicles passed through in total. At 14th & G, almost 2,000 vehicles were subject to the checkpoint and screening process, with a whopping 880 of the drivers actually being screened. Of those 880, 24 drivers were detained for further evaluation and 10 additional drivers were arrested on the spot for DUI. The Mission Bay checkpoint was equally successful, with close to 1,900 vehicles being subject to screen, 772 actually being screened and 16 held for further evaluation; 13 of those held were subsequently arrested for driving under the influence.
These two checkpoints and many others were funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Sources:
“23 Arrested at DUI Checkpoints in San Diego” – CBS 8